So this is what is going on right now:

Your diaphragm is now elevated and tilted because of pressure from your enlarging uterus. This change causes your rib cage to flair, or open up slightly.  The circumference of your chest may increase by almost 2.5 inches.

First thought:  Yep, I’ve definitely got that going on…strange feeling.  Second thought:  Thank goodness they explained what “flair” means…would have been lost without that clarification.

A good friend told me this would happen, and that her rib cage was permanently enlarged after the birth of her two children.  So interesting.  One of the things I love about all these books is learning about the amazing modifications our bodies make during pregnancy.  We’re pretty well designed.